Deliberative democracy, intervention explored by ethicists

March 2, 1999

KALAMAZOO--The moral and social implications of international
intervention and the theory of deliberative democracy will be
explored in two upcoming talks sponsored by Western Michigan University's
Center for the Study of Ethics in Society.

Dr. Deni Elliot, professor of ethics and director of the Practical
Ethics Center at the University of Montana-Missoula, will look
at the ethics of non-military intervention in "Good Fences/Good
Neighbors: Ethics of Interventions" at 7 p.m. Monday, March
15, in Room 204 of the Bernhard Center. Elliot, whose research
has focused on press and government issues in emerging democracies,
will look at the practical ethics of intervention from a global
perspective. The author of the book "Responsible Journalism,"
Elliot holds master's degree from Wayne State University and a
doctoral degree from Harvard.

A look at the theory of deliberative democracy will be offered
by Dr. Emily Hauptmann, WMU assistant professor of political science,
in her presentation titled "If Deliberative Democracy is
the Solution, What is the Problem?" at 7 p.m. Thursday, March
18, in Room 157 of the Bernhard Center. Deliberative democrats
argue that the problems of democracy can be solved through deliberation,
but Hauptmann asserts that this theory inadequately addresses
many political problems, including distributive justice. The author
of the 1996 book "Putting Choice Before Democracy: A Critique
of Rational Choice Theory," Hauptmann specializes in political
theory and rhetoric and holds both master's and doctoral degrees
from the University of California at Berkeley.

Both lectures are free and open to the public. For more information,
contact the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society at (616)
387-4397.